Allied Health Info, Employers Info, Nurse Applicants Info, Skilled Workers Info
Learn How To Work In Australian HealthCare In Just 6 Months
Oct
Imagine Your Future
in Australian Care.
Complete your care training in as little as six months.
Imagine meaningful work, an Australian income and new possibilities for your family. Whether you are changing careers, already working in healthcare or starting without a degree, explore a different future with AusPath.
Join or log in → Open Training → View courses and registration instructions.
Six months refers to training. Australian qualification assessment, employment and visa processes are additional stages.
You do not need a nursing degree to explore care work.
Your background does not have to define your future.
Perhaps you are weighing up years of university study. Perhaps you already have a trade or profession but want a change. Or perhaps you are ready to build your first vocational qualification.
Individual Support focuses on helping people live with dignity, independence and wellbeing. It offers a practical starting point for developing care skills and pursuing suitable opportunities.
No professional qualification yet?
Explore a structured starting point. No existing healthcare profession is required, although academic, English and other admission requirements apply.
Already a skilled worker?
Bring your reliability, communication and life experience into a new career direction.
Working in allied health?
Explore individual support as a separate occupation, with requirements matched to the care role you intend to pursue.
Already a nurse?
Explore whether eligible care employment could help you earn while saving towards your separate Australian RN registration journey.
Imagine what an Australian care income could mean for you.
AUD $71,588 a yearApproximate full-time annual base pay before tax for a Level 3 qualified residential direct-care employee under the current Aged Care Award.
The minimum weekly rate is AUD $1,376.70. Applicable shift, weekend and public-holiday penalties can increase earnings.
Level 3 covers residential direct-care employees holding Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing), or an equivalent qualification. Actual pay depends on your job, classification, hours and applicable award or enterprise agreement.
Annual amount is the weekly rate multiplied by 52. Earnings begin with eligible employment, not enrolment. Rates checked 21 October 2026 and may change.
View the official Aged Care Award →Did you know eligible overseas care workers can be sponsored?
The Australian Government introduced the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement to help eligible employers recruit qualified overseas direct-care workers.
| Occupation | ANZSCO code |
|---|---|
| Aged or Disabled Carer | 423111 |
| Nursing Support Worker | 423312 |
| Personal Care Assistant | 423313 |
These are care occupations, separate from registered nursing. The framework provides employer sponsorship opportunities and a potential permanent-residence pathway for eligible workers.
How does sponsorship work?
An eligible employer gains access to the agreement, offers a genuine position and nominates a suitable worker. The candidate meets the applicable qualification or experience, skills-assessment, English, health, character and visa requirements.
The framework provides for a relevant Certificate III or equivalent, with an experience alternative under its conditions. Acceptance of your particular qualification and assessment route must be established.
Does the employer need a company-specific agreement?
Not necessarily. Eligible aged-care employers can access the industry agreement through its required union Memorandum of Understanding and Home Affairs approval process.
Other opportunities may operate under an appropriate company-specific labour agreement or Designated Area Migration Agreement—DAMA. Each has its own conditions.
Where could you work?
The aged-care industry framework is not restricted to one DAMA region. Opportunities depend on approved employers and vacancies. DAMA opportunities are tied to their designated areas.
AusPath is actively working to identify suitable employers and sponsorship opportunities for eligible candidates.
Read the Australian Government explanation →Understand the visa opportunities.
Subclass 482
Skills in Demand—Labour Agreement stream
An employer holding an appropriate agreement can nominate an eligible worker for an approved position, subject to the occupation, agreement and visa requirements.
Subclass 186
Employer Nomination Scheme—Labour Agreement stream
A potential permanent-residence route for eligible workers who meet the employer nomination, experience and other applicable conditions.
Government processing priorities
Healthcare is among the first processing-priority categories under Ministerial Direction 121 for subclass 482 and Direction 122 for certain permanent and provisional skilled visas, including subclass 186.
Individual applications must meet the directions’ definitions and conditions. Priority affects processing order rather than guaranteeing approval or a deadline.
Explore the 482 Labour Agreement stream →
View official processing priorities →Imagine taking a different route from years studying nursing.
A nursing degree is the right direction if your ambition is registered nursing. But if your goal is care work, explore the difference in the initial commitment.
A Philippine nursing journey may involve four years studying, tuition and clinical education expenses, time developing experience, then Australian assessment, examinations, preparation and relocation.
For illustration, a degree costing PHP 100,000 per year totals PHP 400,000 over four years. An additional Australian nursing preparation, visa and relocation budget of approximately AUD $12,000–$18,000 can take the combined investment above AUD $20,000, depending on actual costs and exchange rates.
A four-year degree followed by two years of experience becomes a six-year example. That experience period is illustrative, not a requirement applying to every nurse.
Now compare that with approximately six months of initial care training.
Different occupations, qualifications and starting commitments.
Explore the nursing pathway and published cost breakdown →
Comparison budgets are illustrative, not fee quotations. Local subsidies, exchange rates and individual registration pathways vary. Check linked historical figures against current official fees.
Care first. Save towards OBA while earning.
You have already invested in nursing. Paying every Australian registration expense upfront may be your next challenge.
For suitable nurses, eligible care employment may offer a transitional approach: start in a genuine care role, earn an income and save towards outstanding RN preparation and examinations.
Have your existing qualifications and experience reviewed first. You may already meet relevant care requirements without another course.
Keep your nursing plan active. Ordinary care-worker hours do not automatically count as RN practice or maintain nursing recency. Later RN employment requires registration, a suitable position and appropriate work rights.
Diploma in Individual Support—Ageing & Disability
Delivered through an AusPath-approved partner training academy, the programme combines flexible learning with a practical focus.
Five months online
Complete most of your study from home, following the required learning and assessment schedule.
One month practical learning
A scheduled practical block including 120 hours of practical learning. View locations and attendance arrangements in your portal’s Training section.
Build skills with a purpose
- Individualised support, independence and wellbeing.
- Dementia, aged-care and disability support.
- Infection prevention and safe working practices.
- Communication, dignity and person-centred care.
- Legal and ethical responsibilities.
Your Australian Certificate III assessment pathway
Successful diploma graduates can apply for a separate Australian RTO assessment pathway towards CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support.
The RTO assesses your learning and competence, including any applicable Recognition of Prior Learning process, and determines further evidence, assessment or training needed before awarding Certificate III.
Full academy and RTO details are provided during registration, before commitment.
Before enrolling, confirm that the training format, practical learning and qualification assessment route meet any separate migration skills-assessment requirements for your intended occupation.
You may not need all your tuition saved before starting.
Pay-It-Forward Funding
Available to qualifying applicants, subject to approval and terms.
Approved funding may reduce the initial contribution needed from your savings, depending on eligible expenses and payment timing.
Review any repayment or pay-it-forward obligations before accepting.
Spread tuition payments
Pay tuition across five instalments instead of paying the entire tuition amount at once.
Your offer confirms amounts, due dates and initial charges. Confirm whether funding and instalments can be combined.
International student fees
| Item | SGD |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $6,500 |
| Separate application fee | $600 |
| Base total | $7,100 |
Applicable taxes, insurance, fee-protection charges, travel, accommodation, Australian RTO assessment and additional training or migration expenses are separate unless expressly included. Funding is advertised in USD; course fees are in SGD.
From interest to opportunity.
- Join AusPath free or log in to your existing account.
- Open the Training section for upcoming courses, programme information and registration instructions.
- Review your plan: entry requirements, pathway eligibility, complete fees, funding and instalments.
- Apply for your chosen intake and complete the required training.
- Progress through Australian qualification assessment and any additional requirements.
- Pursue suitable employment and the applicable sponsorship and visa process.
You can prepare your profile and explore jobs while studying. Employers decide whether they accept applications before qualification completion.
Six months is the training schedule. Qualification assessment, employer recruitment and immigration processing determine when you could start work in Australia.
Your key questions, answered.
Do I need a degree or healthcare background?
No existing nursing degree or healthcare profession is required to explore the programme. Academic, English and other admission requirements apply.
Is it open to all nationalities?
Yes, subject to individual admission requirements. Employment and migration eligibility are assessed separately.
Does the diploma automatically award Australian Certificate III?
The diploma provides access to a documented Australian RTO assessment pathway. Certificate III is awarded after the RTO’s requirements are met.
Can I apply for jobs while studying?
You can prepare your profile and explore vacancies. Each employer decides whether to consider applicants still completing qualifications.
Is there a potential permanent-residence pathway?
The aged-care labour agreement framework includes a potential employer-nominated permanent-residence route for eligible workers who meet the applicable conditions.
Are there age limits?
Check the current course entry requirements in Training. Visa age requirements are separate and depend on the visa and any applicable concessions.
Where do I find courses and register?
Join or log in, then open your portal’s Training section for programme details, upcoming intakes and registration instructions.
What if I need individual assistance?
Read the programme details in Training first. For questions about your circumstances, contact AusPath through your dedicated portal message inbox.
Imagine Your Next Chapter.
Take the First Step Today.
Explore the courses. Understand the pathway. Start planning your future.
Join AusPath or log in, then open Training for upcoming courses, funding information and instructions on how to register.
Join or log in → Open Training → Explore courses and register.
Explore the wider journey
Get the Free Top 10 Nurses Guide →
Explore the Ultimate Guide for International Nurses, Carers & Allied Health to Work in Australia →
